A Meeting at Corvallis
|next_book = }} The third book of the Emberverse Series. It recounts events between December 2007 and September 2008. It brings the first generation of post-Change residents of Oregon to a crossroads. Portland Protective Association On December 10, 2007 in Portland, Oregon, Norman Arminger calls Jabar Jones, Baron Molalla, the Lady Phillipa and their son Chaka into the throne room at his palace in Portland. Arminger's daughter Mathilda had been in Molalla's care when she was captured by the Mackenzies the previous May during a raid into the Portland Protective Association's territory. Jabar and his family are called before the throne without the weapons commonly worn by the nobility of the PPA. After Jabar explains the coincidences, the Lord Protector is somewhat mollified and returns his weapons. Arminger appoints Emiliano Guterriez, Baron Dayton as Marchwarden of the South, replacing Eddie Liu, Baron Gervais, who died attempting the rescue of Arminger's daughter, incidentally almost killing Rudi, Juniper Mackenzie's son. Arminger's instructions to Dayton are simple: Keep the Bearkillers and Mackenzies on their side of the border. Arminger takes the Barony of Gervais under personal control until the heir comes of age, but allows the dowager baroness, Lady Mary Liu, to appoint her own garrison commander. On December 12 in Portland, Norman Arminger meets two people from Corvallis, Master Turner and Agnes Kowalski. Arminger introduces them to Sandra, Conrad Renfrew, and Father McKinley. Arminger impresses his visitors by serving them coffee from Hawaii. He tries to convince the two merchants that Corvallis would be best served by becoming a part of the Portland Protective Association as a self-governing Free City. Clan Mackenzie On December 12, Rudi Mackenzie and Mathilda Arminger finish archery practice under Chuck Barstow. They return to the main cabin, where Mathilda is greeted with frowns by some. Both children are greeted by Rudi's mother, Juniper Mackenzie. During supper, Juniper senses the continuing resentment toward Mathilda from many of her clan; she stands and lays a geas -a compulsion- on the clan, using her powers as High Priestess and Chief of Clan Mackenzie; binding all present to treat Mathilda as a member of her family. Juniper later discusses the practical aspects of having Mathilda under her supervision with Bearkillers Eric and Luanne and concludes that the Lord Protector will attack Clan Mackenzie to get his daughter back sooner rather than later, though even if his army is defeated, the feudal nature of the PPA and the castellated territory will make it impossible to take his lands. On December 15, Nigel Loring is recovering from the injuries he sustained at the hands of Mack, saving the life of Juniper's son Rudi. He talks with Dennis Martin as Juniper coaches a group of children in their Rite of Passage- choosing a totem animal and joining a Sept. Dennis tells him about the early days of the clan, when he deliberately annoyed Juniper by starting the fashion for kilts and referring to her as 'Lady' or 'Chief'. Nigel realizes that he is becoming attracted to Juniper. Bearkillers On December 12, Mike Havel conducts a training exercise of pike infantry defending against mounted A-Listers, granting victory to the infantry that day. On the way back to the fortified Larsdalen, he and Signe discuss the progress they have made in defense. They also discuss Signe's sister Astrid and both her interest in the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien and her ability to use those writings to inspire others to adapt to the conditions following the Change. Rangers On December 17, Eilir Mackenzie, Astrid Larsson, John Hordle, Alleyne Loring, and ten other Dunedain Rangers are preparing the Rangers' Yule log in Mithrilwood when they become aware that they are being watched. They plan an ambush. More than twenty bandits enter their kill zone. They kill several and the rest retreat. While the Rangers recover the bandits return, running as if pursued. The Rangers kill a few more and the pursuers show. It is a patrol from Mount Angel Abbey, led by Father Andrew of the Order of the Shield of Saint Benedict. When the bandits are all killed or captured, the Rangers and Father Andrew find that the leader is a PPA knight in service to Gervais. The knight identifies himself as a brother of the dowager baroness, Mary Liu. Astrid holds the knight for a substantial ransom and proof of PPA involvement in raids. She orders the remaining bandits to be beheaded. The Rangers offer Father Andrew and his patrol quarters for the night at Mithrilwood; they accept. Corvallis On January 10, Mike Havel, Signe, their twin daughters Mary and Ritva, and brother-in-Law Eric and his wife Luanne arrive in Corvallis. They are greeted by Major Peter Jones and discuss the Corvallis defences and Ken Larsson's new rapid-fire crossbow, which Mike implies is not yet working. They move to the Bearkiller 'Embassy', run by Hugo Zeppelt. Hugo reveals that someone in Corvallis is putting money around in the PPA's favour. Signe adds that her sources put Turner and Kowalski at the PPA and having many high level meetings. Mike tells Peter he wants to attend the Corvallis Senate to propose a formal alliance should the PPA attack. Mike also wants Corvallis to agree that the Rangers can pursue across everybody's borders to clear bandits from the Willamette. As a sweetener, Peter suggests allowing Corvallis to renew the railroad running up the Willamette, but Mike refuses to give the PPA such an easy solution to their logistics problems. January 11th, Juniper is visiting Luther Finney's farm and discussing the changes he made with his son Edward Finney. Edward tells her Luther dropped dead, harvesting his land, on the hottest day of the year; a long-standing joke of his father since he served in Korea. Juniper says Someone is always listening. Mathilda and Rudi discuss their guards Aoife Barstow (who used to be called Mary), and Liath Dunling (who used to be called Jeanette). Mathilda finds it slightly alarming that the two girls are in love with each other. The War As Samuel Aylward is plowing near Dun Fairfax. A messenger from Astrid Larsson of the Dunedain Rangers arrives. Two thousand, five hundred troops of the Portland Protective Association in three columns have crossed the border and entered the Waldo Hills area southeast of Salem, Oregon. A waterborne force is rowing up the Willamette River, and a fifth force has laid seige to Mount Angel. Astrid adds that her Rangers are attempting to delay the PPA forces, and that a copy of the message had also been sent to Lord Bear. Sam passes the message to Juniper Mackenzie with his recommendation that the First Levy of Clan Mackenzie be called out to rally near Sutterdown. Mike Havel, Lord Bear, receives his message at Larsdalen and calls up the A-List. He sends Will Hutton with a detachment to screen his northern border. He orders the remainder of the A-List and the militia 'Field Force' to rally west of Salem to head off the main PPA thrust up the Willamette river. Ken Larsson is ordered to take his heavy assault weapons by rail to defend the Salem bridges. Pam is to take an infantry detachment to guard him. Peter Jones of the Corvallis City State returns to Corvallis to defend his city. The Waldo Hills — The Dunedain On March 5, the Dunedain Rangers, led by Astrid Larsson and Alleyne Loring ambush a Portland Protective Association wagon train escorted by crossbowmen and by Pendleton light cavalry at a sabotaged bridge. They successfully burn the wagon train and drive off the enemy forces. The Waldo Hills — The Mackenzies Piotr Stavarov is tasked to move a column of two hundred bicycle infantry (crossbow and spears) and two columns of fifty knight lancers with men-at-arms from the Waldo Hills across the Santiam River by nightfall on March 5. En route, he encounters what he judges to be a holding force of fifty archers and fifty spears and Lochaber axes of Clan Mackenzie. Piotr decides he can force the blockade. While his crossbowmen engage the Mackenzie archers, he sends his spears against the remainder of the Mackenzies. As that attack goes in, one hundred more Mackenzie bows engage the Protectorate spears. Thinking he has now pinned and revealed the whole Mackenzie force, Piotr charges the archers with all one hundred heavy lancers. Juniper Mackenzie reveals an additional seven hundred archers, who decimate the mounted force. Piotr is wounded in the attack. He tries to put the best light on his actions by telling Conrad Renfrew that he has driven the enemy from the field. When Piotr asks Renfrew what he would have him do, Renfrew responds, "Give me back my knights!" West Salem — The Bearkillers Mike Havel's pike and crossbow meet with Eric Larsson's cavalry and Ken Larsson's field artillery west of the Willamette and Salem, with suburban ruins behind them. The Protector's forces are landing north of them, clear of the ruins, while armoured boats slowly paddle upstream for the rail and road bridges. Mike quickly determines that he faces pike, crossbow, cavalry and light siege artillery, in greater numbers, led by Alexi Stavarov, Baron Chehalis. Mike deploys his troops from soft ground on the right, placing his cavalry and artillery on the left below Chapman Hill. His westernmost infantry help dig the artillery in. One knight advances in challenge, and Mike takes him on, beating him handily; it is a superb morale booster for his troops and an equally bad one for Stavarov's. Mike then orders his catapults to open fire on the enemy cavalry; they retreat out of range, and Stavarov sends his clumsier artillery forward in response. Mike orders his horse archers forward to take on the artillery crew and handlers with a firing circle, killing horses and crew. Alexi, to protect them, sends spearmen forward with shields, whereupon Mike withdraws his cavalry, leaving Stavarov's artillery and spearmen wide open to his artillery which, hydraulically cocked, reloads faster and shoots harder than Alexi's. Some shots are home-made napalm, and Alexi's artillery is soon burning. Alexi loses patience and sends cavalry forward. Mike has practised his pikes against lancers, though... Sutterdown — The Mackenzies March 5th, and Colin Renfrew, Baron Odell, is a mile north of the town of Sutterdown, with 2000 men, discussing how to take the town. Three sides of the town are river, and the north side has a moat. All gates are protected by gatehouses, and turrets house Larsson hydraulic catapults capable of throwing a quarter mile. His dilemma is that he does not have enough troops to control the occupied duns, lay siege to Sutterdown, and protect sixty miles of road. His scouts report empty duns and many trails of cattle, sheep and men leading up into the hills, but he does not know how many Mackenzies are behind him. He does know that eight hundred defeated Piotr, and they could be anywhere. He makes it clear he is not happy with the PPA war strategy. Dun Juniper — Rutherton's Raid March 5th, and Epona is getting restless at Dun Juniper. Rudi Mackenzie asks permission to take her out for a ride, and Dennis Martin gives permission, provided they do not go beyond the Lookout Station. Rudi rides out with Mathilda Arminger and their escort, Aoife Barstow and Liath Dunling. Rudi and Epona gallop off, leaving the three girls behind, then return for a race with Mathilda. Mathilda's horse gallops along the road into the forest, Rudi following on Epona. Mathilda runs straight into a trip rope, and is thrown off her horse. Epona avoids the rope but in the process, Rudi is dismounted. He recognises PPA armed troops and shouts to Epona to go home. Aoife and Liath ride up fast, warned by the noise and by Epona trotting back riderless. In a frantic melee, two PPA troopers die and Aoife and Liath are killed. The PPA Special Forces leader is Tiphaine Rutherton, sent to rescue Mathilda, but quick to realise the prize she has with Rudi. She abandons her campsite, and starts moving north, fast. The alarm is raised at Dun Juniper, and Dennis quickly gets the clan's best trackers following the trail while he gets sniffer dogs organised to join them. He must then send a messenger to Juniper. Castle Ath — Rescuing Rudi Field of the Cloth of Gold